Clas Blomberg; Research interest, General description.

"Statistical Physics" is a branch of physics that studies the connections
between various levels of descriptions of the physical world.

Objects such as we see them are composed by a large number of atoms,
and we want to understand how these influence general properties. For that,
we need not know the atomic details but use a statistical picture,
based upon atomic features. This makes it possible to understand and describe
various properties, in particular those that are related to temperature
and temperature changes. For example, one can understand why there occur
various phases such as gases, liquids and solids with sharp transitions
between them.

In this field, I work with applications to the processes of living
systems, what can be called biological physics or simply physics
of life. The basic processes that govern the phenomenon of life are the
same as those that govern "dead matter" and they are based on the same
general laws of physics. The aim for me and my group are to apply a physical
view for biological objects and processes in living organisms. Particular
questions concern the understanding the functions of the large macromolecules,
proteins and nucleic acids (DNA) that govern all living properties. Determining
factors for such functions are the structures of the macromolecules and
the possibilities to change structure under the influence of various chemical
compounds or external factors such as light.

Other questions concern features of coupled reactions in a cell and
their efficiency. Most recently, I consider neural signalling and
irregular features (such as noise) that influence the signals. Does the
neural system use what is called "chaos", apparently irregular signals,
generated in a systematic, relatively simple way? In that case, what is
it used for? And how can we just by observing the appearance, distinguish
chaos from various types of noise?

As a physicist with interest in the processes of life, it is natural
to ask how life could have started. How simple can a living system
be? What obstacles were there that had to be overcome? Could the functions
of life have been developed successively or how could they have appeared?

Besides these questions I am interested in the history of science and
general scientific aspects as can be seen from my popular science contributions.